DE102019212272A1 - Control of a vehicle damping system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a method for controlling a damping system (20) of a vehicle (10), with the following steps: forecasting a vehicle movement which at least one vehicle component of the vehicle (10) can experience in a route section ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle (10) Predetermining at least one control parameter for a damping system (20) of the vehicle (10) based on the predicted vehicle movement, and controlling the damping system (20) based on the predetermined control parameter in order to at least reduce the predicted vehicle movement. The invention also describes a control device for controlling a damping system and a vehicle with such.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a damping system of a vehicle. The invention also relates to a control device for controlling a damping system of a vehicle and to a vehicle with such a control device.

State of the art

Methods for controlling a vehicle damping system are known from the prior art. So it is from the EP 3 090 890 B1 known to control the damping force of an adjustable motor vehicle damper taking into account the road surface. It is also from the DE 10 2015 010 566 A1 known to increase the damping force of a motor vehicle damping system if a steering stop is reached in order to improve the driving behavior of a motor vehicle.

Presentation of the invention

In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a damping system of a vehicle. The vehicle can be a commercial vehicle. The damping system can have a chassis damping system or a chassis damping system, which can have at least one chassis damper. If the vehicle is a commercial vehicle, the damping system can have a driver's cab damping system as an alternative or in addition to a chassis damping system. The driver's cab damping system can have at least one driver's cab damper, which can connect a driver's cab of the vehicle to a chassis of the vehicle in a damping manner.

The method has, as a step, a forecast of a vehicle movement which at least one vehicle component of the vehicle can experience in a route section lying ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

The forecasting can include a predetermination or determination of a vehicle movement to be expected in the driving route section ahead. The forecasting can include a model-based determination of the vehicle movement, wherein the forecasting can be based on a predefined vehicle damping model. The vehicle damping model can include a chassis damping model. If the vehicle is a utility vehicle, the vehicle damping model can have a driver's cab damping model as an alternative or in addition to the chassis damping model.

The vehicle movement can in particular have a rotational movement of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. The rotational movement can include at least one of a roll, a seesaw, and a yaw of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. If the vehicle movement shows a sway, the vehicle component of the vehicle or the vehicle rotates around the vehicle's longitudinal axis. If the vehicle movement is rocking, the vehicle component of the vehicle or the vehicle rotates around the vehicle's transverse axis. If the vehicle movement exhibits a yaw, the vehicle component of the vehicle or the vehicle rotates about the vehicle vertical axis. The vehicle movement can also have an oscillating movement or an alternating movement of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle.

The vehicle movement can also include a translational movement of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. The translational movement can include, for example, a pitching of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. If the vehicle movement exhibits a pitch, the vehicle component or the vehicle shifts in the direction of the vehicle vertical axis.

A vehicle component of the vehicle can be the chassis of the vehicle, for example. Vehicle movement can therefore relate to the chassis of the vehicle. In a further example, the vehicle component of the vehicle can be a driver's cab of the vehicle. If the vehicle is a commercial vehicle, a vehicle movement can also refer to a driver's cab as an alternative or in addition to the chassis. The vehicle movement can be a movement of the driver's cab relative to the chassis or the roadway. The chassis and the driver's cab can experience separate movements or joint movements. The separate movements can be mutually dependent. The movements described can occur in the section of the route ahead in the direction of travel. The movements can be self-movements or movements caused by external vehicle environment influences. The movements can occur while the vehicle is in motion or when the vehicle is stationary.

The travel route section lying ahead in the direction of travel can relate to forward travel or to reverse travel of the vehicle with a corresponding travel direction of the vehicle. The section of the route ahead in the direction of travel can be a section of a route of the vehicle that lies ahead or can be traveled in the future. The travel route section can have a section of a vehicle trajectory or a section of a roadway that the vehicle can travel on. The route section can be forecast or extracted from a known route. The route section can have at least one waypoint along a route. The route section can also have a trajectory element of a route, for example a curved route section.

As a further step, the method has a predetermination of at least one control parameter for a damping system of the vehicle based on the predicted vehicle movement. The predetermination can include determining the control parameter for a vehicle movement to be expected in the future. The control parameters for the damping system can be predetermined in such a way as to actively counteract the predicted vehicle movement by activating the damping system or at least to reduce it. At least one damping force of at least one damper of the damper system can be set with the control parameter. The control parameter can also be used to adapt at least two damping forces to one another or to modify them differentially in order to achieve the effects described. The step of predetermining can include predetermining a damping stiffness or a damping force, which can be required to actively counteract the predicted vehicle movement.

As a further step, the method comprises controlling the damping system based on the predetermined control parameter in order to at least reduce the predicted vehicle movement. The damping system can be a spring-mass damper system. Controlling the damping system can include controlling a damping stiffness of the damping system. Controlling the damping system can also include controlling a damping force actively applied to the vehicle for damping a movement of the at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. The step of controlling can also include controlling at least two dampers or activating a damper tuning of at least two dampers, wherein a differential damping stiffness of the damping system can be controlled.

In the context of the invention, a damping system can be actively preset for a future damping task. A control parameter of the damping system can be determined in advance in order to later actively control the damping system with it. The damping system can be pre-controlled dynamically with the invention.

The steps of the process can be carried out continuously. Vehicle movement can be continuously predicted and, based on this, a control parameter for the damping system can be continuously predetermined. A continuous control of the damping system can be based on the predicted vehicle movement and have the setting of a damping stiffness. In this way, a vehicle movement that the vehicle will experience at a later point in time can be predicted. At a later point in time, the damping system can then be actively controlled in order to counteract the predicted vehicle movement. The activation of the damping system can therefore not be understood as a reaction to a current vehicle movement, but rather as an active measure which can be carried out based on a vehicle movement predicted in the past and without determining a current vehicle movement.

As a further step, the method may include checking whether the predicted vehicle movement is an undesired vehicle movement, the steps of predetermining at least one control parameter for a damping system of the vehicle based on the predicted vehicle movement and controlling the damping system based on the predetermined control parameters in order to at least reduce the predicted vehicle movement. only be executed if the predicted vehicle movement is an unwanted vehicle movement. An undesired vehicle movement can be present, for example, when the predicted vehicle movement exceeds a limit value that can be predetermined for the vehicle movement.

According to one embodiment of the method, the damping system has a driver's cab damping system. The driver's cab damping system can be a spring-mass damper system for damping movements of the driver's cab. According to this In an embodiment, the step of forecasting can include forecasting a movement of the driver's cab. The movement of the driver's cab can be a relative movement of the driver's cab relative to the chassis of the vehicle. Further according to this embodiment, the step of predetermining can be performed based on the predicted movement of the driver's cab.

If the vehicle is currently or will be at a standstill in the route section ahead, the damping system of the vehicle, in particular the driver's cabin damping system of a commercial vehicle, can be controlled in such a way that any future movement of the cabin caused by a passing vehicle is reduced. This can be achieved in that a damping hardness of the damping system is increased when the vehicle is at a standstill or is brought to a standstill and thus before a possibly passing vehicle can cause the cabin to move.

If vehicle sensors, in particular a vehicle sensor provided for the automated operation of the vehicle, are arranged on the chassis or on the driver's cab, the invention can be used to control the damping system in such a way that predicted movements of the vehicle sensors resulting from the predicted vehicle movements are at least reduced. The reliability or accuracy of vehicle environment measurement data recorded with the vehicle sensor system can thus be increased. Autonomous journeys of a vehicle on a company site, for example starting a swap body, can be supported by appropriately predetermined control parameters. The damping stiffness of the damping system can thus be increased, for example, during a sensor-assisted autonomous drive in order to reduce movements of the vehicle sensors. The detection accuracy of the vehicle sensors can thus be increased.

The vehicle sensor system can have a GNSS antenna, which can be attached to a driver's cab. Alternatively or additionally, the vehicle sensor system can also have an imaging sensor, for example a camera. Alternatively or additionally, the vehicle sensor system can also have a distance-measuring sensor, for example a radar device.

According to a further embodiment of the method, this has as a further step an interrogation of the route section ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle from a cartographic information system, wherein according to this embodiment the step of forecasting can be performed based on the interrogated route section. As a predicted vehicle movement, a vehicle movement can thus also be predicted which at least one vehicle component of the vehicle can experience in the queried route section as the route section lying ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

In order to query the route section ahead from the cartographic information system, a current position of the vehicle can be determined in a further step of the method. The current position can be recorded with a satellite navigation system or GNSS system arranged on the vehicle. The step of querying the route ahead can thus be carried out taking into account a detected current position of the vehicle.

According to a further embodiment of the method, the method has, as a further step, reading in at least one rate of rotation currently acting on the vehicle, from which a rate of rotation gradient can then be derived. Alternatively or in addition to the yaw rate, an acceleration currently acting on the vehicle can also be read in and an acceleration gradient can be derived from it. The yaw rate can be detected with a yaw rate sensor provided on the vehicle or with an inertial measuring unit. The acceleration can be recorded with an acceleration sensor provided on the vehicle or with the inertial measuring unit. For example, a rate of rotation about the vehicle vertical axis of the vehicle can be detected and read in with a yaw rate sensor. A current yaw rate and from this a yaw rate gradient of the vehicle can be determined from the detected rate of rotation. According to this embodiment, the step of predicting the vehicle movement can be carried out based on the derived yaw rate gradient. If, for example, the current yaw rate gradient is determined, a yaw, which the at least one vehicle component of the vehicle can experience in the driving route section ahead, can be predicted from this. The step of predetermining the at least one control parameter can thus also be carried out based on the predicted yaw of the vehicle.

According to a further embodiment of the method, this has as a further step reading out a current control command of a control device for controlling a Driver assistance system of the vehicle. The driver assistance system can be a vehicle stabilization system or a vehicle dynamics control system, for example an ESP system or an ABS system. The current control command can cause a vehicle movement or a change in driving dynamics, wherein the relationship between the control command and the vehicle movement or the change in driving dynamics can be defined or modeled.

According to this embodiment, the step of predicting the vehicle movement can be carried out based on the read control command. The step of forecasting can be based on the relationship which can be stored in a control device for controlling the damping system of the vehicle. If the vehicle is a commercial vehicle with a driver's cabin damping system, it can be controlled in such a way that the driver, any passengers traveling along, any loads or devices in the vehicle, such as sensitive sensors or control devices, through the vehicle movement and / or through the cab movement is not excessively stressed. Thus, for example, a driver can also maintain control of the vehicle during an emergency braking maneuver that is supported by an ABS system or an evasive maneuver that is supported by an ESP system. If the vehicle dampers are prepared for the upcoming vehicle stabilization, the risk of damage to the vehicle load can also be reduced.

If the vehicle is a vehicle with a passenger compartment damping system, it can be controlled in such a way that the driver, any passengers traveling along, any loads or devices in the vehicle, such as sensitive sensors or control units, are caused by the vehicle movement and / or by the movement of the passenger compartment is not excessively stressed. A vehicle having the passenger compartment damping system can be designed, for example, as a passenger car or as a modular vehicle. A modular vehicle should be understood to mean a vehicle with a driving platform with different swap bodies both for passenger transport and for goods transport.

According to a further embodiment of the method, the method has, as a further step, a determination of a curvature of the route section lying ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle. If the route section ahead is queried from a cartographic information system, the curvature can be derived from the requested route section. Alternatively, the curvature can also be queried directly from a cartographic information system. In yet another alternative, the curvature can be determined by means of a vehicle sensor system, for example by means of a camera system. For example, a curvature can be determined from at least one camera image of a traffic sign or a lane marking using image processing methods.

According to this embodiment, the step of predetermining can be carried out based on the determined curvature. The driving route section ahead can be a curve, a hairpin bend or a roundabout with a certain curvature. If the vehicle is a commercial vehicle, a control parameter for the driver's cabin damping system can then be predetermined in such a way that the driver's cabin is actively moved towards the inside of the curve by controlling the driver's cabin damping system with the predetermined control parameters when driving on the curve, the hairpin or the roundabout. A rolling movement of the driver's cab caused by centrifugal force and directed towards the outside of the curve can thus be actively counteracted by controlling the damping system.

According to a further embodiment of the method, the step of controlling is carried out to actively counteract at least one of a roll and a pitch of the at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. To counteract the roll, the damping system can be controlled in such a way that the at least one vehicle component of the vehicle exerts a force opposing the roll on the at least one vehicle component or has a corresponding rigidity in order to at least reduce the roll. Alternatively or additionally, the damping system can be activated to counteract the pitching in such a way that the at least one vehicle component of the vehicle exerts a force opposing the pitching on the at least one vehicle component or has a corresponding rigidity to at least reduce pitching.

According to a further embodiment of the method, this has, as a further step, determining whether an automated driving maneuver is to be carried out by the vehicle. The driving route section lying ahead can have at least a partial driving route of the driving maneuver. The vehicle can be a trade automated or autonomous vehicles. The driving maneuver can be an automated maneuvering maneuver, driving maneuvers, parking maneuvers, trailer coupling maneuvers or starting and picking up a swap body. The damping system can be activated during a determined automated driving maneuver in such a way that movements of vehicle sensors on the vehicle that are necessary for the driving maneuver are at least reduced. A movement of the vehicle sensor system as a result of the driving maneuver as such can thus be less superimposed by vehicle movements of the chassis or the driver's cab relative to the wheels of the vehicle. The detection accuracy of the vehicle sensors during an automated driving maneuver can thus be increased.

According to a further embodiment of the method, at least the steps of predetermining and controlling are carried out in response to a request command from a control device for controlling a driver assistance system. The steps can only be carried out when the driver assistance system carries out an action which can result in vehicle movement. A control device with stabilization tasks can, for example, request a certain damper stiffness in order to better solve a control task.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a control device for controlling a damping system of a vehicle, which is set up to carry out the steps of the method according to the preceding aspect. The control device can have a forecasting unit for forecasting a vehicle movement, which at least one vehicle component of the vehicle can experience in a section of the route ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle. The prediction unit can also have an input for reading in a request command from a control device for controlling a driver assistance system.

The control device can also have a predetermination unit for predetermining at least one control parameter for a damping system of the vehicle based on the vehicle movement predicted with the prediction unit. The control device can also have an output for outputting the predefined control parameter for controlling the damping system based on the control parameter predefined in the prediction unit in order to at least reduce the predicted vehicle movement.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle with a damping system and a control device for controlling the damping system according to the preceding aspect. The vehicle can in particular be the commercial vehicle described with a driver's cabin damping system.

Figure list

• 1 shows a vehicle and a control device according to an embodiment of the invention with a curved route section ahead.
• 2 shows the vehicle from 1 as a commercial vehicle with a damping system in a side view.
• 3 FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of method steps for performing a method for controlling a damping system of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of embodiments

In 1 is a vehicle 10 shown which is on a route 4th is located. The route 4th has one in the direction of travel F of the vehicle 10 route section ahead 2 on. The route section ahead 2 is a right-curved curve section in the embodiment shown. In an embodiment not shown, it can be the route section lying ahead 2 also be a section of a roundabout.

The vehicle 10 has a control device 30th to control an in 1 vehicle damping system, not shown. The control device 30th is with a cartographic information system 6th connected. In one embodiment, the cartographic information system is located 6th on the vehicle 10 in front. In a further embodiment, the control device takes effect 30th on the cartographic information system 6th radio-based too. Based on its current position on the route 4th can the control device 30th Information on the route section ahead 2 from the cartographic information system 6th Interrogate. The vehicle points to position determination 10 one in 1 Positioning sensor not shown.

In 2 is the vehicle 10 out 1 shown in more detail. In the embodiment shown, the vehicle is 10 a commercial vehicle with a driver's cab 12 . The control device 30th is in the embodiment shown on the driver's cab 12 arranged. The vehicle 10 points next to the Driver's cab 12 a chassis 40 on which the driver's cab 12 is arranged. The chassis 40 is also on wheels 44 arranged with which the vehicle 10 along the route 4th moves.

The driver's cab 12 is dampened with the chassis 40 via a driver's cabin damping system 22nd connected. The driver's cabin damping system 22nd is arranged and set up to capture vehicle movements of the driver's cab 12 relative to the chassis 40 to dampen. The control device 30th is with the driver's cabin damping system 22nd connected to the cab damping system 22nd to be controlled with damping control parameters. In the embodiment shown, the driver's cab damping system 22nd Cab damper 23 on, which are independent of each other by the control device 30th are controllable.

The chassis 40 is dampened with the wheels 44 via a chassis damping system 42 connected. The chassis damping system 42 is arranged and set up to accommodate vehicle movements of the chassis 40 relative to the wheels 44 or to the route 4th to dampen. The chassis damping system 42 is also arranged and set up to accommodate vehicle movements of the driver's cab 12 relative to the wheels 44 or to the route 4th to dampen. The control device 30th is with the chassis damping system 42 connected to the chassis damping system 42 to be controlled with damping control parameters. In the embodiment shown, the chassis damping system 42 Chassis damper 43 on, which are independent of each other by the control device 30th are controllable.

The driver's cabin damping system 22nd and the chassis damping system 42 form a damping system in the embodiment shown 20th of the vehicle 10 . The cushioning system 20th In further embodiments, either the driver's cab damping system 22nd or the chassis damping system 42 exhibit. At least one of the activation of the driver's cab damping system 22nd and controlling the chassis damping system 42 can make vehicle movements in the driver's cab 12 counteracting the driver's cab 12 less relative movements to the ground of the route 4th can experience.

In 3 Fig. 3 is a flow diagram of method steps in a time sequence for controlling the damping system 20th des in the 1 and 2 shown vehicle 10 in the route section ahead 2 shown.

In a first step S1 a route query takes place. The control device 30th asks from the cartographic information system 6th the route section ahead 2 from. The control device 30th can from the requested route section 2 derive its curvature. The step S1 is performed when the vehicle is 10 on the route 4th before the route section ahead 2 is located.

In a subsequent second step S2 a vehicle movement forecast takes place. The control device 30th predicts vehicle movement in the driver's cab 12 in the route section ahead 2 relative to the lane of the route section ahead 2 . In the embodiment shown, a right-curved section of the route ahead 2 becomes the driver's cab 12 experience a centrifugal force-induced swaying to the outside of the curve when driving on the right curve ahead. The vehicle movement is thus a sway W. the driver's cab 12 forecast.

In a subsequent third step S3 a pre-determination of control parameters takes place. A control parameter P is based on the predicted rolling motion W. predetermined. The control parameter P is determined so that it is suitable for the damping system 20th to be controlled in such a way that the rolling motion of the driver's cab 12 when driving on the section of the route ahead 2 can be counteracted.

In a fourth subsequent step S4 a damping system control is carried out with the predetermined control parameter P when the vehicle 10 in the route section ahead 2 is located and experiences the predicted rolling motion. In the embodiment shown, the damper stiffness is applied from the outside of the curve on the vehicle 10 arranged dampers of the damping system 20th increased to one of the rolling motion of the cab 12 provide corresponding counteracting force.

List of reference symbols

2

route section ahead

4th

Route

6

cartographic information system

10

vehicle

12th

Driver's cab

20th

Cushioning system

22nd

Cab damping system

23

Cab damper

30th

Control device

40

chassis

42

Chassis damping system

43

Chassis damper

44

bikes

W.

Wavering

P

Control parameters

S1

Route query

S2

Vehicle movement forecast

S3

Pre-determination of control parameters

S4

Damping system control

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• EP 3090890 B1 [0002]
• DE 102015010566 A1 [0002]

Claims (12)

A method for controlling a damping system (20) of a vehicle (10), comprising the steps of: forecasting (S2) a vehicle movement which at least one vehicle component of the vehicle (10) will experience in a route section (2) ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle (10) can, predetermination (S3) of at least one control parameter (P) for a damping system (20) of the vehicle (10) based on the predicted vehicle movement (W, N), and controlling (S4) the damping system (20) based on the predetermined control parameter (P) in order to at least reduce the predicted vehicle movement. Procedure according to Claim 1 wherein the damping system (20) has a driver's cabin damping system (22), the step of forecasting (S2) comprises forecasting a movement of the driver's cabin (12) and the step of predetermining (S3) is carried out based on the forecasted movement of the driver's cabin (12) becomes. Procedure according to Claim 1 wherein the damping system (20) has a passenger compartment damping system, the step of predicting (S2) includes predicting a movement of the passenger compartment and the step of predetermining (S3) is carried out based on the predicted movement of the passenger compartment. Method according to one of the preceding claims, with the further step of querying (S1) the route section (2) ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle (10) from a cartographic information system (6), the step of forecasting (S2) based on the queried route section is carried out. Method according to one of the preceding claims, with the further step of reading in at least one yaw rate currently acting on the vehicle and deriving a yaw rate gradient, wherein the step of forecasting (S2) the vehicle movement, the movement of the driver's cab or the movement of the passenger compartment is based on the derived yaw rate gradient is carried out. Method according to one of the preceding claims, with the further step of reading out a current control command from a control device for controlling a driver assistance system of the vehicle, the step of predicting (S2) the vehicle movement being carried out based on the control command read out. Method according to one of the preceding claims, with the further step of determining a curvature of the route section (2) lying ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle (10), the step of predetermining (S3) being carried out based on the determined curvature. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of controlling (S4) is carried out to actively counteract at least one of a roll (W) and a pitch of the at least one vehicle component of the vehicle (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims, with the further step of determining whether an automated driving maneuver is to be carried out by the vehicle, the driving route section (2) ahead having at least a partial driving route of the driving maneuver. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the steps of predetermining (S3) and controlling (S4) are carried out in response to a request command from a control device for controlling a driver assistance system. Control device (30) for controlling a damping system (20) of a vehicle (10), which is set up to carry out the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims. Vehicle (10) with a damping system (20) and a control device (30) for controlling the damping system (20) Claim 11 .

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